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Kiehl's Age Defender Power Serum for dry skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

Kiehl's Age Defender Power Serum

Low

  • LowDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • ConcerningSafety

A weak match for dry skin; the serums alongside fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers moderate anti-aging benefits for your dry skin, as adenosine and hydrolyzed soy protein help minimize fine lines, but the formula lacks specialized hydrating ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to effectively address dryness and flakiness.
  • The presence of alcohol denat may further exacerbate dryness, and while it offers general skincare benefits, the overall formulation is moderately unsuitable for your dry skin type.

How to apply

  • Apply this serum PM, starting 3×/week and working up to daily use as your skin adjusts.
  • Place the serum after cleansing and toner, but right before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the serum on slightly damp skin to help lock in extra moisture.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.4Overall rating based on 600+ reviews

This serum is highly regarded for its lightweight, fast-absorbing formula that effectively hydrates and firms men's skin. Users frequently report visible improvements in skin texture and a reduction in the appearance of forehead lines and wrinkles with consistent daily use.

Highlights

  • Fast absorption Mostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly”
    • “Sinks in fast”
    • “No sticky feeling”
  • Non-greasy feel Often Mentioned
    • “Doesn't feel greasy”
    • “No residue”
    • “Lightweight gel”
  • Improves firmness Sometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels tighter”
    • “Visibly firmer”
    • “More resilient”
  • Reduces lines Sometimes Noted
    • “Forehead creases shallower”
    • “Helped with lines”
    • “Smoothed texture”
  • High price point Sometimes Noted
    • “It's pricey”
    • “Expensive for size”
    • “Costly for daily use”
  • Caused dryness Rarely Noted
    • “Skin still dry”
    • “Caused some irritation”
    • “Not hydrating enough”
  • Packaging issues Rarely Noted
    • “Pump not functioning”
    • “Bottle issues”
    • “Dispenser problems”
  • Subtle results Rarely Noted
    • “No apparent tightening”
    • “Hard to notice”
    • “Slow to see change”

Sources: lovi.care, kiehls.com, macys.com, ulta.com, bloomingdales.com, spacenk.com, and more

Questions and answers

Why is Age Defender Power Serum a weak match for dry skin?

This serum is a weak match because it lacks specialized hydrating ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to address dry and flaky skin, and the alcohol denat inside may make dryness worse. A product of this type needs nourishing ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, or peptides to provide deep hydration and support the skin barrier.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

Which ingredients make this serum a poor fit for dry skin?

Alcohol denat makes this serum a poor fit for dry skin because it may further dry out your skin, and the formula also lacks specialized hydrating ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to properly handle dryness and flakiness. Dry skin needs a treatment that includes ingredients that target hydration and skin barrier support, such as ceramides, niacinamide, propolis, bifida fermentation, or peptides.

What does Cypress Extract do for dry skin?

Cypress extract helps calm dry skin by reducing irritation and discomfort. This type of product needs soothing botanical ingredients and rich moisturizers to restore soft, smooth skin.

What does Glycerin do for dry skin?

Glycerin helps dry skin by drawing in moisture and keeping it locked in, which makes the skin feel much softer and smoother. It also supports your natural skin barrier to stop water from escaping easily. A product for dry skin needs extra ingredients like hyaluronic acid and soothing plant extracts to truly calm and hydrate dry patches.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008

Where does this serum go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, though dry skin needs a product that includes strong hydrators like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to protect against flakiness.

Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this treatment alongside retinol, but because your dry skin needs extra care, apply retinol first and follow with a rich moisturizer to prevent flakiness and irritation.

How often should I use this serum?

This serum is a weak match for dry skin, as alcohol denat may dry it out further while lacking deep hydrators like ceramides or hyaluronic acid. To care for dry skin, a product of this type needs rich moisturizing ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and soothe flakiness.

Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This treatment is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin, though alcohol denat may occasionally worsen dryness and flakiness. A product for this skin needs rich hydrating ingredients like ceramides or hyaluronic acid to lock in moisture and keep the skin soft and smooth.

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

It contains fragrance (parfum, limonene, linalool, and citral) and drying alcohol (alcohol denat).

What the research says

  • Adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches showed similar or better efficacy on skin wrinkles, dermal density, elasticity, and hydration compared to adenosine cream in 22 female subjects.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018

  • Horse oil-spread and adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches significantly improved skin elasticity, hydration, dermal density, and wrinkles compared with adenosine-loaded dissolving microneedle patches in 20 women without causing adverse events.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019

  • Topical application of a disodium adenosine monophosphate-based formulation reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation while improving hydration, barrier function, skin lifting, and epidermal turnover in female participants.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2026

  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001

  • Wearing an N95 mask alone compared to using dimethicone cream or hydrocolloid dressing caused more adverse skin reactions among 73 military health care workers, with no significant differences in fit test failure rates between groups.

    Military Medicine, 2024

  • A dimethicone skin protectant lotion significantly decreased visual scoring and transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control and SLS-only treated sites in 12 healthy humans exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate.

    Skin Research and Technology, 2000

  • Treatment with a moisturizer containing dimethicone and glycerine increased epidermal thickness by 0.019 mm, improved barrier function by decreasing transepidermal water loss by 13%, decreased melanin intensity, and induced keratins 6 and 16 in fifteen women with moderately photoaged forearms.

    Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, 2007

  • A topical cosmetic slimming product containing tetrahydroxypropyl ethylenediamine, caffeine, carnitine, forskolin and retinol significantly reduced body circumferences and improved skin aspect compared with placebo in 78 women over 12 weeks.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2011

  • Topical sunscreen formulations containing caffeine combined with UV filters increased in vivo anti-UVB protection by approximately 25% and showed higher SPF values compared to caffeine-free sunscreen, while being well tolerated by the skin of healthy subjects.

    Frontiers in Physiology, 2019

  • Caffeine gel combined with choline geranate showed high skin permeation capacity and superior clinical results in cellulite treatment compared to caffeine gel without ionic liquid.

    AAPS PharmSciTech, 2021

Why other serums fit dry skin better

Ingredients

Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Parfum, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Propylene Glycol, Ruscus Aculeatus Root Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Soybean Oil, Caffeine, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Limonene, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Disodium Edta, Adenosine, T-Butyl Alcohol, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract, Linalool, Citral

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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How does it fit your skin?

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